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Gardeners' Notes:

We've grown Hakonechloa Aureola for many years with great success. But a consistent problem has been older plants reverting to solid green color. Every few years, we've taken to purchasing a new specimen and mixing old and new plants. We love them, but wish they would stay true to color.

Zone 4B/5A. I planted 3 Aureola's last fall and all survived a cold MN winter. I'd read they grow slowly so I was pleasantly surprised at how much they grew in one season (19" X 16" wide & 7.5" high) It was a very wet spring and summer which may have helped.

They're planted in clay soil and get morning and late afternoon sun but have good light all day. I enriched the soil when planted and gave them one dose of compost tea early summer. They have a habit of leaning more in one direction and mine are leaning/thicker towards the hotter afternoon sun. Not the direction I'd prefer - but so be it! They're still beautiful.

I saw some growing at a nursery in full shade. They were small and a bit shabby compared to mine and not as golden so I'd say in colder zones they prefer some sun.

I find that this grass grows faster and bigger in full sun. I live in Canada (approximately US Zone 5) so are summers aren't overly hot. I have plants growing in part shade which are slower growing and smaller. Beautiful plant when mature. Easily my favorite grass.

I live on Vancouver Island up in Canada, where we have a mild temperate climate. This particular grass is gorgeous in the shade. Like others have said, it was quite slow to get started but once established it is stunning. The other thing that makes it so appealing is that shaded areas are often dark so this brightens up a shady corner or path beautifully.

I love when there is a breeze because it looks like waves on the ocean.

We too leave ours to dry overwinter though, especially in the early years while it was getting established it looked quite messy. Now we simply leave it and cut it right back in the spring.

Ours has not ever been prey to slugs -- for some reason they seem not to enjoy it (thankfully).

'Aureola' stays much lower than the all-green species, generally not getting over a foot tall. The species gets to 2-3 feet as described and is much more vigorous than the variegated cultivars. Of the variegated cultivars, 'Aureola' is the most vigorous. All are slow-spreading and easy to control.

'Aureola' will occasionally produce reversions to the all-green species, which will need to be dug out promptly if you don't want the reversions to take over the planting.

It's beautiful when dormant, I wait till early spring before cutting it down. It does go through an awkward transitional phase in the fall while it's entering dormancy, during which it looks ragged---the leaves shrivel a bit temporarily while drying out---but if you can tolerate that for a few weeks it develops a great presence for the rest of the winter.

If you want to move or divide this plant, your chances of success are best in early spring when growth is beginning.

Japanese forest grass grows well in Vermont (officially, our garden is either USDA zone 4b or 4a, but we do not remember the last time the low temperature was low enough to qualify). Four plants here in different locations have come through at least half a dozen winters.

After admiring and unable to find this plant for many years, I found it while visiting my daughter in Tacoma Washington. It is not available anywhere here in Central Florida. Within the last 2 weeks, we have experienced record cold temperatures, ranging from as low as 27 degrees. Thus far, it has survived.
I planted clumps of it in October. It has not had the opportunity to withstand our Florida heat, so I am anxious to see how well it will hold up. So far, it has not gone dormant.
I absolutely love it....a bit pricey bit it is well worth the cost.

This is one of my favorite plants in my shade garden. It also does well in the sun because my former shade area turned sunny when we removed a cherry tree. Happily, my Hakonechloa is still thriving. The leaves are wonderful in floral arrangements. They add a wispy touch, make good filler, and are long-lasting, too. Here in Washington state, many perennials go dormant and we don't mind the dry grassy mound in the garden. It's all easily cut back in early spring before new growth appears.

Hakonechloa is a wonderful plant, but in a frost-free, snow-free area like Southern California, I believe it's wise to place it so that it's out of view when it's in its less-than-pretty dormant stage. Putting it in a pot so it can be moved into view when it sprouts new growth, or replanting it each year like an annual, if you can afford it, seems to work.

Here in Zone 9 it must be in part shade. Beautiful all summer long, but goes so dormant in winter I thought it was dead. Slow growing, but Home Depot here in CA sells gallon clumps at a reasonable price.

This plant was dug up, stomped on and then replanted by an electrician burying some wiring. I thought it was a goner. I was shocked to see it sprout this spring and it looks even better than it did last year!

Beautiful against rock walls. My quart sized plants have doubled in one season and look great, but can anyone tell me why it is so expensive?!? Nonetheless, I will buy more next year for my deep shade problem areas.

I have had this plant for about a year now. Picked it up after seeing a bigger one at a local nursery. I agree that it is a slow grower which I didnt know at the time of buying it. My last visit to the garden center they told me it takes about 3 years for them to get to a nice size.

I first fell in love with this plant after seeing it growing in a community garden in NYC under high shade. It looked like a glowing waterfall, moving with the slightest breeze. Although I have had a little difficulty getting it established in my own garden, it is because of the extremes of hot sun at noon and deep shade from surrounding buildings - the classic issues of a city garden site. I'm sure it will do better when moved to more even, light shade. Well worth the effort - it's a beauty when well grown. No significant problems with slugs or any other pests or diseases that I can tell.

Great groundcover in shady area. Grows in clumps that dance in the lightest breeze. Plant dies down in the winter and comes back in the Spring. Will spread, but can be divided for more plants. Ads a ray of sunshine in the dark corners of the shade garden. Plants seem resistant to damage from insects and slugs. Makes a great ground cover under the Banana's growning in Washington state. Ads to the semi-tropical look.